I’m Going On An Adventure
I am taking a vacation with family for a couple weeks in New Zealand. No, before anyone asks, I will (probably) not be doing anything LoTR related. As much as I love those movies I don’t have any particular desire to go walk around a movie set and have tour guide tell me things I already learned from watching the extended edition special features. I will, however, probably eat many second breakfasts. It will also be the farthest away from home I’ve ever been. Insert other references here.
I will be on the lookout for any random Kiwi who knows ball. I will probably be able to tell if they know the ball when they see me in my Giants hat and either start laughing at me or solemnly give me their condolences.
If any of you have been there and have any Auckland or very Auckland Adjacent must-see stuff, let me know, since I have a day or two there with no real itinerary.
Comics will resume probably on Friday the 22nd.
The question is, which hobbit is which?
Russell Wilson is obviously Frodo. Not only is he a ringbearer, but he also stood on the precipice of Mount Doom and cast it into the fire. Yes, I am a Seahawks fan and typing that joke was like stabbing my own heart.
Frodo didn’t destroy the ring. Gollum bit his finger off to get the ring and then fell into Mt Doom. I’m not sure if that makes your analogy better. Anyway, Kyler is Merry or Pippin
Malcolm Butler is Gollum.
Malclm Go! Llum!
while you are at it find old zeland
Go watch some proper rugby, and maybe some cricket if it’s still in season.
I have given cricket a try. I never realized how exciting baseball was until I saw what the other option was.
Maybe that’s why it’s called cricket, you can hear them chirping during the game.
I lived in New Zealand for four years, only in the north island. Some places I would recommend:
-Tauranga/Mount Maunganui/Papamoa Beach: Mt Maunganui is nice for a brisk hike. Papamoa Beach has some of the clearest beach water I’ve ever seen in my life.
-Taupo: Has hot pools that people come from all over the world to see. Waikato river and Huka Falls are also near by and beautiful to see.
-Napier: Has really cool Deco style architecture and is nice for a day wine trip.
-Paraparaumu: Good for a quick beach day. Get yourself some Kapiti ice cream and watch the sunset.
-Makara Beach: A hidden gem of New Zealand. Only one road in and out from Wellington. Nice for a short beach hike and a picnic.
-Wellington: If you do get the itch for a movie related venture, Weta workshop is cool to visit and the tours are relatively cheap. A cool trip to see behind the scenes of lots of different movies. Also, if you’ve seen the movie “What We do in the Shadows” a lot of it was filmed around Wellington. Roxy cinema is a nice movie theater and there is a chance you can bump into Peter Jackson as he is known to frequent that specific theater. Not Joking. Never happened to me but definitely happened to a few friends of mine at different times.
Have a great time! And if you come across a Hell Pizza definitely give it a try!
When we went to New Zealand in pre-covid times we visited the Hobbiton set, it was actually a really great time. The beer at the Green Dragon Inn was fantastic. I highly recommend the experience. WETA Workshop tour was also really fun.
Catch a rugby game if possible, they’re a lot of fun if you want to hang out with the locals. Also, the little handheld meat pies are something I still dream about, and don’t understand why they aren’t much more common in the United States.
The sets are actually really cool not in the sense of the movies but rather the walk and nature environment.
I totally agree with the meat pies. Tauranga is a really cool spot with lots of mountains, waterfalls and beaches nearby. Totally worth exploring for a few days if you have time.
The tiny QB gags always makes me smile. Have a nice trip!
Auckland things:
1) Waiheke Island: Take a ferry out to the island; lots of beaches and wineries. It’s like Martha’s Vineyard for Aucklanders, just way less pretentious.
2) Tiritiri Matangi Island: Another island, but entirely a nature preserve.
3) Whatipu Beach: Really cool scientific preserve beach with hiking nearby. Definitely need a car, though.
4) Waipu: Cute little town north of Auckland; also have glowworm caves if that’s not on the itinerary for later in your trip.
Enjoy your trip Dave!
Don’t think about the fact that you’ll have to deal with Aaron Rogers, QB, Giants, when you get back.
Never before has any voice dared to utter words of that QB in Imladris, NJ, Joe L.! Let us hope that none will ever speak it here again. For if that QB is not soon to be heard in every corner of the Tristate Area, then let all put doubt aside that this thing is indeed what the Wise have declared: the treasure of the Enemy, fraught with all his malice; and in it lies a great part of his strength of old. Out of the Black Years come the words that the Smiths of Eregion heard, and knew that they had been betrayed: One Fraudgers to rule them all, One Fraudgers to find them, One Fraudgers to bring them all and in the Darkness Retreat, bind them.’
Waitomo Caves is a three-hour drive from Auckland and is supposed to be really, really cool if you want a daytrip from Auckland.
we must comendeer this website while Dave is away. JOIN ME MY BROTHERS FOR FREEDOM AND MORE INJURDED RESERVE COMICS
Side note:
22 March falls on a Saturday.
21 March falls on a Friday (pi day (3/14) falls on a Friday).
Sadly our media tries to claim Mailata (he has NZ citizenship), so you’re most likely to run into freshly minted Eagles fans. That said, it might be interesting to meet Eagles fans with zero Philly in them. They won’t realize that the Giants are an enemy, and batteries are for throwing.
Auckland itself is a pretty generic city, but there are some good attractions in the area. I wouldn’t bother with the dedicated tourist traps like the Skytower; it’s not going to be at all impressive to anyone who has been in a tall building before.
In the area: Piha is rugged but beautiful. The Poor Knights islands are an excellent place to do some snorkeling and sightseeing, but the tour operators definitely require booking (which may or may not work for you).
Further afield: if they aren’t already on your general itinerary, Waitomo or Rotorua would both be good targets for a day trip. Waitomo is mostly for the caves (glowworm tours, some blackwater activities), Rotorua for the geothermal pools, the gondola + luge, plus some attractive walking/hiking options.
For some local colour: Feijoas are in season right now, and if our tree’s production is any indication you’re likely to be offered some free fruit somewhere along the line. I know they aren’t widespread in the US and that free fruit (especially if its a fruit you haven’t had before) can seem like a trap/hazing experience, but they’re safe.
The local approach is to cut ’em in half and eat the innards with a spoon, but you can eat the skin too if you’re feeling adventurous (though it’s not very tasty).
Something for you to come back to, OBJ allegation at Puff Daddy’s party.